Houston Texans Rule Out Tight End Dalton Schultz vs. New York Jets
The Houston Texans will visit MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Jets in Week 14. They’ll be doing so without some critical firepower.
It was revealed early this week that rookie receiver Tank Dell will undergo season-ending surgery on his fractured fibula. On Friday, Houston suffered another blow, ruling out tight end Dalton Schultz for Sunday’s action with a hamstring injury.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud and TE Dalton Schultz during a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.
Schultz missed Week 13 against the Denver Broncos with this same injury. The Texans won, 22-17, with the help of backup tight end Brevin Jordan. Jordan caught three of his four targets for 64 yards against Denver, including a 27-yard gain.
He’ll be expected to fill that same role on Sunday, but the task becomes noticeably more difficult against a New York Jets defense that has been stingy all year long. They’ve made a habit of making good quarterbacks look mediocre, and with linebackers C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams patrolling the middle of the field, there shouldn’t be too many opportunities to find success.
Schultz’s absence likely mitigates the frequency of seam routes that he and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud frequently connected. However, Houston may emphasize an uptick in yards after the catch. Jordan, for a tight end, excels at this, and receiver John Metchie III projects to do the same with Dell out.
Another factor for coordinator Bobby Slowik’s offense will be how the Texans move their weapons around. New York doesn’t like to have its (excellent) corners travel, which presents physical mismatch opportunities with Jordan and receiver Nico Collins aligned opposite corner D.J. Reed on the boundary.
The Jets have made a habit of muting good offenses and making games close, but Houston is quite familiar with late-game intensity. How the offense finds success despite its injuries will be important in how Sunday’s action, and the Texans’ playoff aspirations, unfold.
